With the explosive rise in rates of prescription drug use, abuse and death by overdose, physicians, health officials, social workers and policy makers are increasingly on the lookout not only for ways to address the impacts of these trends but also for how to prevent them in the first place.
Their investigation includes looking anew at the use of less deleterious substances. "Anti-drug advocates who have admonished for years that marijuana is a 'gateway drug' may be on to something, according to a study by Yale University School of Medicine," said Lyn Fiellin, the study's lead author and associate professor of medicine at Yale. "This study showed that those who had used marijuana were 2.5 times more likely to dabble in prescription drugs."
Across the U.S., illegal use of, and addiction to, prescription drugs has led to a 300 percent rise in overdose by prescription drugs. Deaths due to overdose of prescription drugs have now surpassed overdose by illegal drugs. This makes the issue of whether marijuana -- or other substances -- are or are not precursors to legal or illegal substances and the impact it may have on health costs across the nation additionally important.
"If you start using something, it easily and quickly worsens," Susannah Tung, staff psychiatrist at St. Vincent's Behavioral Health in Westport, said. Tung works with people battling addiction and frequently sees how early use of alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana can open the door to harder substances, according to a published report.
Still, for many, the jury remains out on the issue of so-called gateway drugs. So, I thought it might be useful to get a firsthand view not only on that issue but also on the other end of the spectrum -- i.e., how to find health no matter how you landed in addiction
A young man I know abused drugs and alcohol for 24 years. He lived in abandoned buildings, on the streets, or was in and out of rehabs, hospitals and drug programs either by choice, having been committed or through the order of the courts. To become clean, he worked a 12-step program, still attends weekly meetings, helps others in recovery, is sponsoring others who need help and, to give back even more, runs two "sober homes" in Westminster which house up to 16 clients at a time.
He takes on speaking engagements, has written an autobiography, "Gutters and Roses," and has just published a sequel, "Gutters and Roses with notes from a Sober Home," highlighting those who have gone through his homes successfully.
His own success story is that he has been sober since 2003, is married, owns a home and is co-owner with his wife of a small business. He has two children and two grandchildren and is living a healthy, normal life -- free of drama and dependence on drugs.
I asked him what happened in his life that lifted him out of the world of addiction and placed him on the road to recovery. "In my opinion, the most important thing I learned in the 12-step program is that an addict must have a spiritual awakening, and the only way to do that is through re-working our thought process -- cleaning up our character defects and replacing them with their opposites. For example, replace hate with love, dishonesty with honesty, taking with giving, etc. ..."
He continued by saying that "Seven of the 12 steps in recovery mention the importance of bringing God into one's life. The only way, I can see, for an alcoholic to recover is through a relationship with God. It is important to change their lives from self-centeredness to helping others in some way. Everyone might not be a speaker, sober home owner or counselor. But every human being who has gone through a struggle like addiction has something to offer to help. There is someone out there that only you are able to be the vessel for God to reach them. We offer ourselves to this struggle, to bear witness to God's power in our struggles in life and the ultimate victory over them."
Next, I asked him how the addiction affected his health.
"Through the abuse of drugs and alcohol at times I had liver and kidney issues. I would periodically lose weight. Through my years of recovery, and now, after incorporating spirituality into making God an important part of my life, I am in the best health of anyone in my immediate family," he said.
"Through the recovery process, I knew I could not give up. Prayer from others, when I was not able to pray for myself, was important, as well as seeking God and helping others who are suffering from the same spiritual void I was," he continued.
I had to ask him if he thought people were born addicts -- that it was in their genes and therefore don't have a choice.
"I was not born an addict but the second I picked up a drug, an addict was born. There is a debate through the addiction community on this question. I am not 100 percent clear on this, so for now I will say that I do know some people can control or stop their drinking without a spiritual awakening. A problem drinker or pot smoker, given sufficient reason -- judge, probation, spouse -- can quit on their own power. An addict or alcoholic can't stop without a power greater than himself, God. I convinced myself for years I was using because it 'felt good' when, in reality, it is the spiritual emptiness I fed for years. The truth is, I was trying to fill a void in my life that could only be filled with the presence of God."
I asked how he would instill in a child that using in any form is detrimental to their health and well-being. "For me having lived through this, I am educated in what to look for and will always share with them -- appropriately -- what I went through and pray they don't choose my old life and, instead, choose the spiritual journey I am on today. Most importantly, I will be active and available to them in all areas of life. Availability is the most important role a parent can have."
I asked him what, if any, spiritual advice he had to give parents and/or children.
"The relationship with God you should strive for is in the seeking, not in finding," he concluded. "We will never quench the insatiable thirst that is the spirit of God. So keep seeking!"
Kate Johnson, of Westminster, is interested in blogging about health, spirituality, science, and the importance of prayer and religion in leading a healthy, balanced life. She is a Christian Science practitioner and the media, legislative and public contact for Christian Science in Maryland.
Here are sources used in the preparation of this column:
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Yale-study-Marijuana-may-really-be-gateway-drug-3805532.php
http://www.drugaddictsanonymous.org.uk/daa-twelve-steps.shtml
